The recent ‘Teachers’ Effectiveness Training’ programme organised by All Arunachal Private Schools’ Association (AAPSA) was a commendable initiative which has once again underscored the importance of enhancing the skills of teachers to enrich the overall teaching-learning process. During recent years, the idea of updating knowledge and skill quotients of teachers particularly those imparting education in schools has gathered momentum and in Arunachal’s school education canvas, it is equally significant keeping in mind the fact that it is still in a struggling mode.

It is often acknowledged that quality of education is a great determining factor for equipping children with knowledge, skills, values and mindsets in the most desirable degrees for moulding them into responsible citizens of the society. It has been proved many times that high quality education unfailingly brings wide-ranging benefits for individuals and societies which is true for any country. In Indian scenario, although a steady progress in school level education has been achieved and overall literacy level has improved, there still remains several fault lines. It is an open secret that the type of school an Indian child attends is directly determined by the socio-economic circumstances he or she is born to. If parents are financially capable to admit their wards in superior schools which are mostly private in status, it is then perhaps the doors of quality education will open. Otherwise, one has to remain satisfied with the state-run schools, which are by and large devoid of required infrastructures, barring a few and this is actually the pan-Indian scenario. Just as lack of proper physical infrastructures such as classrooms, school buildings, laboratories etc are factors that can be cited as possible causes for backwardness of education, it’s equally true that quality of education delivered by teachers is also an equally vital aspect. The process of bringing out the best from a student is as much challenging as it is delicate and a whole lot depends on the skill and knowledge levels of teachers. In west, the education structure itself ensures teachers remaining updated with latest teaching tools so that there is always a guaranteed minimum standard of education. In India such structural reorientations are still at infant stages with handful exceptions noticeable in some private institutions only. It is thus quite understandable why there are clamours to get admission in these schools.

For Arunachal, the challenge is dual. If on one hand there is need for rebuilding fast the decades-old physical infrastructure of state-run schools, qualitative improvement of education that is delivered to students must also receive equal priority in the policy framework. Just as private schools are doing their part, state must also think about this aspect seriously if it wants to ‘refuel’ its ‘dehydrated’ education vehicle.